Auto Bits: Is your child in the right car seat?

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Jan 28, 2019 at 12:38 PMJan 28, 2019 at 12:39 PM

Tip of the Week

KIDSIs your child in the right car seat?Every 33 seconds, a child under 13 is involved in a car crash, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data. Even more startling: Car crashes are a leading cause of death for children ages 1-13, so parents should be proactive about making sure their child has the best protection possible whenever they’re in the car.One of the most common mistakes parents and caregivers make is moving children too soon to the next restraint type (whether that’s the next car seat, booster seat or seat belt) or direction (rear-facing to forward-facing). Parents should always make sure the car seat is appropriate for their child’s age, height and weight.For information about choosing the right seat and finding a nearby car seat check location, visit NHTSA.gov/TheRightSeat.

Auto newsWaymo, Google’s self-driving car subsidiary, has announced it will bring a factory to Michigan. The company said the move would create up to 400 jobs at a retrofitted plant dedicated to the mass production of autonomous vehicles. The company plans to spend about $13.6 million on the Detroit-area retrofit. According to the deal with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, the factory must be in operation by the end of 2021 with at least 100 new employees. Waymo said the venture could create up to 400 jobs in the region by 2025. In a blog post, the company says it picked the area because of its “talented workforce and excellent snowy conditions for our cars to test.”

The ListRecently, Cars.com editors announced that for the second year in a row the Chrysler Pacifica is its ‘Family Car of the Year.’ The automotive marketplace gives the award to vehicles that excel in three key criteria: quality, innovation and value. The company cited the hybrid min-van’s fold-flat back seats, optional built-in entertainment system, and built-in vacuum.